Star Force: War
by MasterofDungeons
Summary: An invasion from outer space, a civilization long forgotten, and the history of conflict uniting the two. Geo Stelar must race against time to not only protect his home from an alien super weapon, but also to prevent an ancient power from waking to take its vengeance on all. A rewriting of the Starforce series uniting the stories of the first two games.
1. Setting the Board

**Hello Everyone,**

 **This story is for me two things, first a tribute to a series I greatly enjoyed when I was younger, and second an extended writing exercise to practice regularly working on a single piece. I hope to achieve in this story what I felt the series could have achieved before it ended. A lot of things will be the same, and a lot will be different. For example, I won't go through every individual arc/episode from the original material. I felt the original got a little too caught up in the "monster of the week" genre.**

 **That said, I hope you enjoy the story for what it is. Any feedback is appreciated.**

 **Edit: Thanks Starforcegeo for pointing out the formatting/conversion issues**

* * *

August 31, 2234

High Earth Orbit

Red lights flashed soundlessly through the empty corridors, reflecting harshly off the floating debris. Peace. The space station had been named "Peace". A spark of optimism for a world on edge and a gesture of goodwill toward their galactic neighbors. But what was the point of it all now? What did they have to show for it? As tired eyes scanned the wreckage of the quickly destabilizing station, they looked to their companions for some answer. In a pair of green eyes they saw hope. A fool's hope, maybe, but hope none the less. Hope that they would survive this. That there would be a way out of this awful situation. In a pair of blue eyes they saw grief, whether sorrow for themselves or for those left behind no one could say. Then there was a pair of brown eyes. Those brown eyes that once seemed so sure, so confident, so unassailable in conviction now burned with fire as their owner argued with the empty air. Dr. Kelvin Stelar was a man that once commanded the respect of people the world over. His steady voice and sure smile capable of disarming any opponent. His large frame, while potentially intimidating, served more to reassure friend and foe that he was as balanced as any man could be. Now, as the tired eyes watched his decent into madness, their owner couldn't help but wonder how they'd all been so easily fooled.

The chamber shook violently then as Kelvin flipped a large lever and their anchoring to the station was released, the air in the adjoining chamber ejected to push the module back towards earth. The eyes darted about, watching from one side as the place they'd called their home for two years slowly drifted away and the place of their birth drew closer. Through it all, the red lights never stopped flashing. The eyes darted to the screens. The readings were holding steady. As long as they maintained their current course, they would splash down somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, transponders intact. If everything went well, he would be home with his wife in only a couple of weeks. Despite himself, he dared to hope. Then he saw the lights.

They appeared as a rainbow of shooting stars as they converged on the now receding station, spinning swiftly around it before converging on the center. The eyes were shut quickly as a blinding light signaled the station's destruction. The ears silently thanked their maker that sound did not travel in the vacuum of space. As the eyes carefully opened again, they saw spots swimming before them. Or, that was what they first appeared. Another moment and it became apparent that the lights were not content to destroy the station. They were pursuing the module. The eyes widened in silent horror as inevitability approached them. The others' voices began to scream or weep as the lights approached, but Kelvin was silent, his gaze as hard and unreadable as stone. When the lights were almost upon them, he spoke.

"Now!"

The eyes could not wonder at what he meant. They had no time. A rainbow of light blossomed around them, filling the chamber and shutting away the universe outside. It was warm in the light. Peaceful. Then the universe was shut out completely and their vision went white.

Below, on the surface of the planet, if one looked up at the right moment, they might have seen a brief flash followed by a shooting star swiftly vanishing into the darkness.

* * *

5 years later...

Brown eyes stared listlessly at the night sky, drawing shapes in the constellations above. Those shapes only just beginning to noticeably drift away from what they had been in ancient times were still more familiar to them than the eyes of the owner's mother. The owner himself lay motionless atop a broad hill just outside of town. He had opted to leave his telescope at home tonight, preferring instead to search the endless skies as the ancients had done. Leo chased the fleeing Cancer for perhaps the millionth time since they had formed. In only a couple of months, the lyrid shower would begin in the constellation Lyra, something he was careful to see each year that weather permitted.

He might have lain there all night had the device on his wrist not let out a sharp chime. He blinked once and sat up, brushing the grass from his unruly brown hair as his hazel eyes braced to receive the transer's light. As he opened the lid and winced through the sudden brightness he read a simple message from his mother, Hope.

"Will you be home soon?"

He glanced at the time and winced again as he saw how late it was. Almost eleven at night.

"Yeah, sorry. Lost track of time. Be home soon." he typed quickly. He pressed send and stood quickly, brushing the grass off of his clothes and starting off on the familiar path home.

He tried to be home when his mother got off work. These days they had so little time to spend together. He was often away, learning under Aaron Boreal at his lab, AMAKEN, to earn some early college credits, tinkering in his room, or stargazing. His mother, on the other hand, spent at least ten hours each day working at the local hospital in order to pay their bills. He knew Aaron had offered to step in and help on more than one occasion, but for one reason or another his offers were declined. He wondered if the long hours working were his mother's way of coping with their loss.

Five years had done little to dull the pain of losing his father. Some small part of him still hoped they would find some sign of him, something more than a letter from NAZA and a pension check. To his dismay, some small part of him still hoped they would find him alive. All the pain and sadness would just be a mistake or a misunderstanding. But most of him just agreed with Aaron.

His father's best friend had found him a few months after the incident. He had been wandering the town for hours, visiting all of his father's favorite stops in hope that he would be there. Aaron's words when he had found him stung, and for a while, he refused to talk to the scientist. But as the months dragged on and turned to years, he had to admit that the man was right.

"Now, Geo," Aaron had said, a melancholy look adorning the broad face as he rested a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder, "you and I both know your father isn't going to be at any of these places. I know it's hard to accept, but he's not coming back. But your mother is still here, and she needs you. So be strong and look after her for him."

It was a tall order to give an eleven year old, but Geo hoped he had grown into the role somewhat since then, even if in no other way than being careful not to give his mother more cause to worry.

Even as he was lost in reverie, his feet were careful not to take him on a path that would pass within sight of the local high school. He had gone back to school once since the incident. In middle school at the time, he found himself unable to bear the sympathetic and pitying glances of those around him. He knew they meant well, but it was still too much for him. Even as time passed, he refused to return. The attention he expected to receive held little appeal to him when he was younger, less still now that he understood how his father's reputation had changed. To the public at large, he was no longer the pioneer in EM technology and visionary of humanity's future. Now, he was simply the mad man that had led his colleagues on a suicide mission. While he had never been treated poorly for it, he also was careful not to reveal the relation unless he had to. He knew well enough how children's prejudices were informed by their parents'. Besides, he was technically ahead of the standard curriculum due to his tendency to complete at least three independent study curriculums in a year. One of the perks of not having a social life, he supposed.

A solitary house light was lit when he finally turned on to his street. A fifteen minute walk wasn't so bad. He had found himself later than this at times. The house itself was rather humble next to the decadently modern structures surrounding it, a rather simple, wooden, two story house with a covered front porch. His father had insisted on the design himself.

"Always remember where you came from," he would say. While Geo was fairly certain his father had never lived in a house like this before, he imagined it was some larger metaphor relating to humanity as a whole.

He stepped through the door without knocking, quietly closing and locking it behind him. He kicked off his shoes in the entryway and made his way to the kitchen. He found his mother there, reading the news on a holographic projection from her transer and sipping a cup of tea. She glanced up and smiled warmly at him as she passed him a cup.

"How was your day?" she asked as he blew the steam away from the surface of the beverage.

"It was okay," he answered. "I spent most of it sifting through the latest deep space images for Mr. Boreal to review. I headed over to vista point after that"

"That sounds fun," she smiled. "Find anything interesting?"

"Not really," he admitted. "A couple of the images were pretty distorted. I think the telescope will need to be serviced soon."

"That doesn't sound fun," she admitted.

"It's not. Fortunately, we have some bots that can handle it. Should just take a couple of days."

She nodded sagely as she sipped here tea, her eyes closed as she savored the scent. "So, since it sounds like you might have a couple of days off, do you want to come with me downtown tomorrow?"

He perked up slightly at that. "You mean they gave you a day off?"

"Yep!" came the cheery reply. "Really, I've been earning time off for a while, but we had a couple of people hire on so I don't have to worry so much about leaving them understaffed."

"That's good. Maybe you can take of more often too."

"Maybe. Anyway, I'll make us a nice breakfast before we leave, so get to bed. I want to leave by ten if we can."

Geo downed the last of his tea and climbed the stairs to his room. The space was carefully decorated with minimalism in mind. That's what he would say if anyone were to prod him about it, but really, he just didn't have a lot of interest in decoration. His bed sat in one corner, a long desk with a computer and assorted mechanical parts in another, while the corner opposite the door held a telescope angled up through a skylight. The city's light pollution made it pretty much useless, but he still liked the idea that he could see into space from his room.

He spared only a moment to ensure that his processes were still running on his computer before turning in. Sleep found him swiftly, though rest lingered in the distance as his dreams were disturbed. He dreamed of eyes; a pair of red eyes following him relentlessly through the night.

* * *

There were many words that could describe Luna Platz. Determined, ambitious, unflappable, relentless, these were just a few of them. If she were to choose just one to describe her current state it would be stressed. Not that she would admit it out loud. To the rest of the world she was always on top, always a step ahead. She had been at the top of her class every year without fail; her poetry was scheduled to see its first release in a local publication in only a couple of months; she had an internship lined up with Falon Corp., an international financial organization headquartered in a nearby city for the summer; the list could go on. So to the world at large, she was a girl that had everything under control at all times. Which is why she could not, under any circumstances, let anyone else know the stress she was under.

Even her two closest friends, affectionately referred to as her goons, were oblivious. One was a larger boy named Bud. Bud served as a linebacker for the school's football team. At 6' 6" and 260lbs, there were few in the district that could move him unless he wanted to be moved. The other was Zack, a somewhat obnoxious little computer nerd that had almost the entire encyclopedia memorized, and the rest downloaded to his transer for quick access. They were currently helping her plan her campaign for student body president. She had already been elected class president in a rather one sided contest at the start of the semester. Now, as the semester was drawing to a close, she had her sights set higher. The election would take place during the fall semester, giving her time to plan and maneuver around her opponent, Amanda Thorp. Thorp had been elected for the past two years, and now, entering upper class-man status, she commanded both recognition and popularity. Luna's status as a lowly sophomore worked against her. That status formed a gap she was determined to bridge.

To that end, she leaned against the railing atop the school roof, her signature twin blonde spirals occasionally jumping at a sudden gust of wind, as she eyed her co-conspirators.

"C'mon you two," she chided, "You must have some ideas for how to fix this."

"Well," Zack began, adjusting his glasses in a gesture probably intended to indicate to his listeners that he was in possession of a superior intellect. Instead, he accented the fact that his frames were two sizes too large for his head. "The usual methods of holding bake sales and other fund raisers for some cause or other should help, but the opposition could match or outdo our efforts, leaving us at square one."

"Of course, we'll still plan to spearhead those," Luna interjected. "Being at the front of such things helps, even if they come behind and do the same."

"Right, but we need something that makes a statement."

While the brain trust stalled to consider what efforts might be taken to bolster Luna's popularity, Bud was thinking about football. See, Bud wasn't very bright. He wasn't stupid, he just didn't really have the patience to work through intricate problems, preferring instead to face them head on. That's why, when he finally did offer a suggestion, the other two were slack jawed in surprise.

"What if you can make the team win more," he shrugged, referring to the abysmal 2-9 season his team had the last season.

"How would she do that," Zack asked, readjusting his glasses. "She's not a coach. Then again, maybe if she became a cheerlea-" A fiery glare from Luna cut off his suggestion before it was finished.

"I dunno," Bud shrugged, "but the coach is always complaining about how our best players are always suspended for playing hooky."

Luna stared at the linebacker, eyes wide and mouth agape. For a moment, Bud was worried he was about to be scolded for his stupid suggestion. Then her lips spread in a wide smile.

"That's it!" she exclaimed. "Bud, you're a genius!"

"Wait," Zack protested. "How is he a genius?"

"Simple," she said, raising an index finger. "What is one thing that not even Amanda Thorp has been able to accomplish as student body president?"

"Improving the school lunches?" Bud suggested.

"Expanding the computer labs?" Zack offered.

"No!" she answered, slapping a palm to her forehead. "Perfect attendance. Everyone should know how important attendance is. The football team loses players for lack of attendance. Clubs have to disband due to a lack of members. Members they might have had if everyone attended. So if I can get all of our skippers to come to school, everyone benefits and they'll undoubtedly see that I would make a better student body president!" She finished with an excited flourish of her hand.

"So...how do we do that?" Zack asked.

"Simple," she said, a terrible gleam in her eyes. "We don't take no for an answer."

Her goons seemed less than enthused, but they all knew they would support her anyway. Once Luna had set her mind to something, you either helped her or stayed out of the way.

"Come on, you two. We need to get a list of our targets, er classmates," she commanded, leading them back into the school.

* * *

Geo felt a shiver work its way down his spine as he carried the bags for his mother. I feel like someone just signed away my fate, he thought. The sun was beginning to sink deeper into the sky as the pair made their way home. Overall, the trip had been rather fruitless for Geo. He had netted a new book by a famous astrophysicist and a pamphlet for an exhibit opening in a few weeks exploring some ancient civilization. His mother's score comprised the remaining ten bags. Still, seeing her enjoy herself for a day was worth it.

They made their way home in comfortable silence. After stashing their haul and eating a small dinner, Geo excused himself to pay a visit to Vista Point. Donning a red hoodie to ward off the cold, he set off down the familiar path. The streets were already emptying as people retired to their homes, granting him a measure of privacy. The park itself was long empty.

He settled himself into a comfortable position on the ground and gazed up at the clear night sky. There was no astronomical events to mark the night; the moon was a waxing crescent, providing some shelter for those stars too shy to be viewed. As he stared, he slipped a pair of green glasses over his eyes, a last memento of his father. The glasses were the first prototype of EM wave visualization technology. A visualizer for short. To his knowledge, research into the field had stalled. He didn't really mind though; it just meant that he had a view no one else did. As the lenses covered his eyes, those wavelengths normally invisible to the human eye were reinterpreted as visible light. The pale pinpricks of light were bathed in gentle reds and vibrant blues, swirling about each other in an ethereal dance. The sight never ceased to amaze him.

As he gazed at the various spectrums above him, he felt a slight warmth growing in his chest. Or, not in his chest. On his chest. The brass shooting star pendant that his father had given him before going to space was beginning to glow brightly. As he reached for it another light caught his attention, flashing in the sky above. As he watched, two beams of light were twisting and clashing impossibly in the sky above, one green, one red. As he watched in bewilderment, the green light struck the red, creating another brilliant flash. As the light receded, so did the red light. It arced a trail off to the west and swiftly disappeared beneath the horizon. The green, however, remained, now a stationary point hovering in the sky. No, not hovering. Growing? Approaching, Geo realized to late.

He stood, and tried to run, but he was too slow. The light caught him, enveloped him. He felt electricity racing through his body as his vision faded. As consciousness faded away, all that remained in his vision were two red eyes staring back at him. Then everything went black.


	2. Origins

**Hey all, I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I've had some family tragedy to deal with. Expect more regular updates going forward, probably in the realm of 2-4 weeks per chapter.**

 **Thank you all for kind reviews, the follows and favorites. Feedback is always welcome.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Geo awoke from a dreamless slumber, his head violently protesting the softly humming lights overhead. Keeping his eyes shut, he raised an arm, reaching for the clock he kept on his night stand, only to encounter a sudden resistance. He turned his head, cracking his eyes ever so slightly, to examine the restraint. A small tube was feeding into his arm, a steady drip of some clear fluid flowing down it. An IV.

He felt his heart rate pick up at the sudden realization, and a beeping noise from one of the machines he now noticed by the bed sped up to match. He didn't remember arriving at the hospital. He didn't even know why he had been admitted. Scanning the room more carefully now, he noticed a small cabinet with a sink in one corner, an empty chair with a blanket and book set on it next to the window, and a TV showing some commercial for a new TV series. A girl with unnaturally pink hair appeared to be shouting something at a rough looking man with sharp teeth. He silently decided NOT to tune in. Loud shouting from outside his door caught his attention, but it passed as quickly as it had come, leaving him in a bewildered silence.

The silence didn't last long, however, as the TV chirped out a loud jingle indicating the start of a news broadcast. He turned his attention back to the TV, his breath catching as two pieces of information were presented to him. First, it was currently five in the morning on a Monday. His shopping day with his mother was two days ago. Second was the headline. "Four More Discovered Injured in Largest EM Surge of the Decade."

His eyes fixed on the words as his mind began recalling the events that had put him in the hospital. The lights flashing overhead, the lightning bolt that had raced straight toward him. He had heard of damaging EM surges, they were more common at the inception of the technology but could still flare up if solar activity became too strong. Still, the scale they were reporting, nearly two hundred reported hospitalizations in Japan alone with more being reported globally, as another burst of activity sounded outside his door, he could only wonder if it was another victim they were bringing in.

The door opened then, and his mother walked through. Her eyes, dark with fatigue, quickly brightened upon seeing him awake.

"Geo!" she shouted happily, quickly crushing the young man in a hug. "I was so worried," she spoke into the bed as he brought up the arm not currently held in place by an IV to return her hug.

"I'm okay," he answered, trying to provide some comfort, but his voice came out as a croak from disuse. Without a word, his mother released him and went to the sink, filling a paper cup with water as he fought back a coughing fit. He gratefully accepted the cup and downed the liquid in a single gulp, feeling the cool relief run down his parched throat. His stomach rumbled in protest as his sense of hunger came full force to remind him that he had not eaten in two days.

His mother must have heard the noise, because she gave him a sheepish smile before saying, "I'll call for the doctor. Once he gives the all clear, we can get you some food."

"That would be nice," he said wistfully.

Without another word, his mother walked back out into the hallway in search of the doctor. He settled back into his pillow, his body already tired despite his extended bed rest. Glancing back at the TV, he saw a new headline. "Satella Police to Question Victims." He groaned inwardly. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Bud Bison was not very bright. He wasn't stupid, he just didn't have the patience to work through intricate problems. Especially on an empty stomach. So as the officer kept asking him questions, he just kept getting more irritated. He just wanted a cheeseburger! A double cheeseburger with bacon and chili! Two of them!

"Um…" the voice of officer Not-Food, he had forgotten the man's name while thinking about his next meal, cut through his thoughts. He could see Luna shaking her head in exasperation in the corner behind the officer who was giving him a concerned look. "Do I need to call the doctor back in here?" he asked.

"Wha-no, I'm fine, really!" he answered with too much enthusiasm. His stomach loudly protesting. The officer gave him a doubtful look, but didn't press him on it, instead going over his notes.

"Alright then, I'll just need you to go over what happened one more time to make sure I haven't missed anything."

Bud wanted to cry. This was the third time he was going to have to tell the story. Maybe he would get a milkshake with his burger.

"Um…" the voice of the officer caught him before his mind wandered too much.

"Right!" Bud yelped. "I was on my way home after meeting with Zack and the Prez. I stopped to grab some food-" his stomach interrupted him with a loud growl. He coughed in embarrassment and continued, "while I was eating in the park the lights started to flicker, there were some car alarms, then my head hurt really bad. Then I woke up here."

"And that's everything you remember?" the officer prodded.

Bud thought for a moment before his face twisted up in sadness. "I think I dropped my food."

Luna facepalmed at that, while the officer just gave him an incredulous yet sympathetic look.

"Alright," he said, closing his notebook. "I think that will do for now. I'll send for the doctor; once he gives you a once over he can send for some food."

With that, the officer turned and left. Luna was still covering her face. Bud just looked at her confused. "Did I say something wrong?"

* * *

Geo was grateful he had been checked on by the doctor before the police arrived, though the detective's flinty eyed gaze was enough to send his appetite into hiding. The man had cropped, dark hair that was beginning to grey. His jaw was wide and firmly set, and a strange antenna was protruding from the back of his long coat. Geo knew this man as Bob Copper, lead detective for the Satella Police's Special Investigation Unit. His unit was responsible for investigating any anomaly within the EM Satellite Network, or ESN, including virus attacks, EM surges, and the disappearance of satellites.

He still remembered his mother being brought in for questioning after Peace disappeared. The officers had come in suddenly, led by Detective Copper himself. They had carted them both off, albeit much more gently with him. His mother's screams that night as they were temporarily separated still haunted his dreams from time to time. Mr. Boreal had protested loudly, but in the face of the warrant, his protests fell on deaf ears. He couldn't blame her for excusing herself when the detective had arrived. So, while he would have loved nothing more than to be able to glare defiantly back at this man, he felt an uneasy fear worming its way through his heart, leaving him to pick idly at his food.

"So, let me get this straight," the man's gruff voice drawled, "You were just out stargazing, saw some lights in the sky, and passed out?"

"That's what I said," Geo responded in a voice barely above a mumble.

"See any aliens?"

That gave Geo pause. The question was one he hadn't expected, but as he looked up, meeting the detective's eyes, he understood. The look he was receiving was the same one he had received from his teachers after the accident. The same as the parents of the other children would give him as they led their kids away. Copper wanted to know if Geo was falling into the same madness as his father.

Geo gave the man a bitter smile before answering, "Aliens aren't real, detective."

Their gazes held for a few more beats, each searching the other for any kind of give, any weakness, any dishonesty. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the detective sighed and snapped his notebook closed.

"Right then," he said, standing. "That should be all I need from you. We'll follow up later if necessary."

Geo didn't answer, afraid that his courage might fail him if he spoke. The detective turned to him one last time before leaving. "If you remember anything else, let us know."

Without waiting for an answer, he left. Geo watched the door for a moment longer, heart still racing with adrenaline. His fatigue was gone for now but would return soon enough. A minute later, his mother walked back into the room, face pale but eyes focused. She padded over to him and drew him into a gentle hug. He let out a shaky breath as he leaned against her shoulder. She stroked his hair softly as she pulled away and held up a shopping bag.

"I got you some things," she said. "I thought you might like the chance to freshen yourself up a bit instead of having one of the nurses do it."

"Yeah, that would be better," he answered, very aware of the odor coming from his mouth and under his arms.

She passed him the bag, and he shuffled through it, finding a toothbrush, toothpaste, a stick of deodorant, and a small mirror inside. Thanking her, he passed over his mostly untouched food and propped the mirror onto the tray table where it had been. He let out a sharp gasp.

"What's wrong?" his mother turned to him, deep worry etched in her face and tone.

He looked back at the mirror, and his shoulders relaxed slightly. "Nothing," he answered. "I just didn't expect to look so rough." He gave a sheepish smile that he hoped was convincing. Her face relaxed as she nodded, taking a seat by the window and flipping through her book to find where she had left off.

He gazed intently at his reflection. His eyes were sunken from exhaustion, and his skin was unusually pale. Nothing struck him as out of the ordinary. But just for a moment, he was sure he had seen another face in the mirror. One with long, sharp teeth and glowing red eyes.

* * *

Dark. If he had to describe his job in one word, it would be "dark". Not in the dangerous, macabre sense. It was literally dark. The headlamp he and his partner wore were all that warded off the gloom about them as they traversed the miles of tunnels that made up the excavation site. Robert Pullman wiped the sweat from his brow, careful not to dislodge his helmet. The heat this far underground was nearly unbearable. He would have been enjoying his first day off in weeks had his foreman not called all hands in to work. Something about the head researcher for the project, Dr. Vega, putting pressure for more results. He didn't quite get why the big wig donors couldn't be a little more patient. Unearthing an ancient civilization wasn't exactly easy.

Still, he couldn't say that he didn't find some measure of satisfaction in his work. The relics they had uncovered thus far were bound to change more than a few history books. And that was to say nothing of the incredible beauty and sophistication of them. He might not be a top researcher, but he knew enough to recognize the signs of an advanced culture. He took another swig from the flask at his hip, wishing it was something stronger than water, but grateful for the relief it brought none the less.

They were currently rooting through a large chamber, some fifty meters across. Several tunnels branched out from it that were still be mapped by the exploratory crew. Until they were done, the research team was tasked with restoring or removing whatever they could without damage and documenting the rest. They had already transferred several pottery samples, some primitive weapons, and even a tablet covered in ancient writing. The linguistics team would undoubtedly be having a field day over it. Still, his favorite piece was the large mural that appeared to depict a battle between two ancient deities. Dr. Vega herself had come to see the piece when it was reported. She had happily congratulated the whole team and requested restoration efforts be focused on it.

"Oi, Robert!" his partner called out from across the wide chamber, breaking him out of his thoughts. He turned to see his partner staring at the ground. Whatever had caught his attention was obscured to him.

"Yeah?" he answered back, climbing down to see what the other man was looking at.

"Is this one of ours?"

Robert reached the man and looked down, finally able to see what he was talking about. A metal pipe, still half buried, had been exposed. This in and of itself was of interest to Robert as it could be an indication that the civilization had developed an almost modern plumbing structure. But the pipe itself was only part of the puzzle. After a moment of staring at it, a pulse of light flashed across its surface in the direction of a stone structure, half embedded into the cave wall. He walked up to it, curiosity getting the better of him, and tapped his hammer against the stone surface. A metallic clink rang out through the cavern. He tapped again, pressing his ear up to the stone now. After a few minutes of tapping, he stopped and turned to his colleague.

"This thing's hollow," he said, a mad glint of excitement in his eye. "Call the excavation team, we need to find the entrance."

It took only a few minutes to arrange for the equipment to be brought down along with the personnel to operate it. It took another several hours of very carefully digging out the cave wall around the structure before the entrance was found. Robert observed that, compared to some of the other buildings in the cavern, this one was relatively plain. As the excavation crew moved their equipment out of the way, he and his partner stepped through the now exposed doorway and into a narrow hall.

Strange symbols lined the walls, remarkably well preserved. He considered that perhaps this structure was sealed early on in its history, thus guarding the interior from erosion. As he was examining the symbols, carefully trying to compare them to the others he had seen, a light flashed across them. Startled, he jumped back, almost striking his companion. He watched for a moment and they flashed again, but not all at once. The outermost symbols flashed first, while those further in flashed only after those before them.

Directing their lights down the hall, they cautiously proceeded, watching for any structural weakness or trap. Neither presented itself. Instead, after a few minutes of traversing the now twisting passages, they came upon a sealed door. Through the cracks, they could occasionally see the light flash, brighter than before. Deliberating silently, they both nodded to the other, agreeing to proceed. Placing their hands on the door, they pushed, feeling the old stone give with only a little effort. As their lights filtered into the room, joining the periodic pulsing, they stopped cold.

"Oi," Robert spoke, "What in the world is this?"

"I…I don't know," his partner answered, equally dumbfounded.

After a few minutes, Robert regained his senses. "Go call for Dr. Vega," he ordered. "She'll want to see this."

He received no answer, only the hurried footsteps of his partner running back the way they had come. He just stood there, rooted in place as he gazed at what would undoubtedly be the most significant discovery of his career. At the far end of the room was a holding tank made of stone and glass. Through the glass, with every pulse of light, he could see suspended in what appeared to be water the form of a human.


End file.
